Civil parking enforcement

Concerned members of Amble’s business community are calling for the review of current parking restrictions in the town – amid fears they are driving customers away.

It comes after Northumberland County Council has instructed civil parking enforcement officers to implement traffic controls in the town.

But members of Amble Business Club say that parking restrictions on Queen Street need to be reviewed because in some cases they are no longer relevant.

Chairman Colin Harris said: “We’d like to open a dialogue with the county council to discuss the current parking restrictions in Amble and what can be done to enable more people to park close to the businesses on Queen Street.

“There are too many loading bays, a legacy from when businesses such as the Co-op department store were present, and we’d like to know if some can be converted to bays.

“There has already been anecdotal evidence than certain shops on Queen Street are suffering a loss of trade since restrictions were enforced and it makes sense for the council to help us as they gain a significant revenue in business rates from the traders on Queen Street.

“The last thing we want is people being put off coming to Amble, especially with shops that have that pop-in ability.”